all the words i know
by ikuzonos
Summary: and then the lights come up (DR3 MIRAI-HEN SPOILERS, Major Character Death, mild Togami/Fukawa)


AN: I wrote this last week when everyone thought Asahina really died. Point is, I liked how this turned out so I'm posting it anyways.

* * *

It disgusts her.

A second killing game, this one among the Future Foundation. She can't help but feel grateful now that she's not a full member, even though it makes her feel sick. The swimming idiot and the occult freak she despised so much could die at any moment now.

She and Togami watch the screens in silence, neither one able to form a thought. Komaru doesn't watch. They certainly wouldn't make her, her brother's life is on the line. Neither of them need to tell her it's for the second time.

Fukawa's stomach clenches when Chisa Yukizome dies. The now deceased ex-housekeeper had been a teacher at Hope's Peak Academy, and though she never taught her, it had been commonplace to see Yukizome around the school, restoring hope.

Of course she would be killed. People as nice as her never last.

(It makes Fukawa think of another nice girl who also died first, a girl with blue hair and eyes whom she hated. A girl who she now has so many memories of, memories she wishes she hadn't lost.)

She can only stare, as a man with a squeaky voice whose name she can't bother to remember falls to the ground, dead. It comes rushing back to her then, his name is _Bandai_ and god she feels so sick.

Is this how the audience watching her killing game felt? Watching on and being powerless to help?

Togami tightly holds her hand, a vow of unspoken but mutual silence on the affair. What can they do besides support each other? Now is when they need it.

Fukawa's eyes fly between Naegi, Asahina, and Kirigiri. She'd never say they were her friends before, but now she will, and god they have to make it out. She doesn't know where Hagakure is, and for once it puts her at ease knowing he's out of harms way. At least if everyone else dies he'll be there still.

It's such a terrible ultimatum to think about, but it's what she settles on.

Everyone's accusing Naegi, except the man in the hat that's pointing at the blue haired girl in a wheelchair. Fukawa wants to hide her eyes, she can't watch her friend get beaten to death, but instead he and Asahina escape from the room and she almost wants to cheer.

Togami laughs bitterly when Naegi reveals his forbidden action. The image of a certain hall monitor flashes in Fukawa's mind, and she slams her eyes shut, but tears fall anyways.

(Why are all her friends dead?)

Naegi being the damn hope lord he is won't stop giving inspirational speeches, and while Fukawa won't let herself cry, Asahina is. Komaru's voice rings in her head about death flags, and she brushes it off. It's not real, her friends will be fine.

After all, Naegi is right. As long as her friends work together they'll be fine.

The lights go out, and Fukawa hears heavy breathing, and grips Togami's hand. He leans close to her, and she holds her breath.

 _It'll be okay, it'll be okay._

And then the lights come up.

Knife through her chest, blood staining her clothes, and god, Fukawa cries.

 **AOI ASAHINA - EX-SUPER HIGH-SCHOOL LEVEL SWIMMER - VICTIM #3**

It's not possible, because Asahina is alive and smiling, and she's strong and she's fighting, and she's probably doing something stupid but she's _not dead she can't be dead._

It's a lie, a trick of the light, but Togami sees it too, and he's got a tear in his eye and he's rubbing his cheek where Asahina once slapped him.

It's fake, it has to be.

Even with all the words she knows, Fukawa can't say anything, all she can do is cry. She never apologized to Asahina for anything, she never even got to tell her that her own brother _died._

But she'll know now.

Naegi's screaming, and she wants to but she can scarcely breathe between her tears.

It's not fair it's not fair and it's _not real._

Fukawa latches onto Togami, and neither of them let go. This is how the world ends, with her friends being killed on live television again, but this time she's a hopeless bystander.

She grits her teeth, and whispers, "The traitor can't get away with this."

"They won't," Togami replies.

They clutch each other, and they don't let go. Tears stain their faces, and they cry because Asahina deserved better and so did Bandai and so did Yukizome and Maizono and Ikusaba and Kuwata and Fujisaki and Oowada and Ishimaru and Yamada and Celeste and Oogami and Yuuta and Taichi and every victim of Syo and the Warriors of Hope and hell even _Junko Enoshima_ deserved better.

For now, she'll continue to watch, watch their lives be taken on screen, and pray that her remaining friends can escape with their lives.


End file.
